WNC Jail Project

Library Services to Inmates in the Rural County Jails of Western North Carolina

Article in NC Jail project – NC Libraries Mag Ellern-Mason

Abstract: This paper investigates the current status of library collections and services in the rural jails of western North Carolina. The authors interviewed sheriffs and jail administrators in 6 of the 7 westernmost county detention centers. This paper discusses the benefits of reading and the importance of literacy to this underserved population, presents descriptions of the collections and library service policies along with photographs of actual book collections, and explains the challenges the jails face in maintaining and delivering these services. The authors interviewed sheriffs and jail administrators in 6 of the 7 westernmost county detention centers. This paper discusses the benefits of reading and the importance of literacy to this underserved population, presents descriptions of the collections and library service policies along with photographs of actual book collections, and explains the challenges the jails face in maintaining and delivering these services. The authors argue that one possible solution to these challenges is to build partnerships between public library systems and their local jails in a manner that benefits everyone in the community.